Democrats must send in the clowns

Dear Editor:

What is it that binds U.S. Democrats together? Posters of Karl Marx on bedroom walls? No. Star-struck adulation for the buy-one-get-one-free Clintons? Uh-uh.

It is the manic urge to nominate a Democratic candidate that will dethrone President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. Yet, there is nothing close to a consensus on who amongst the throng of contenders in the Democratic field will best be able to match wits and insults with the incumbent president.

Who can win the twitter war? Who might successfully challenge Trump’s assertion that the vigour of the U.S. economy over the past three years is entirely attributable to his policies? And most importantly, how will the Democratic nominee fare in the pivotal presidential debates?

Don’t forget how quickly Jeb Bush went from the leading Republican candidate to the forgotten man after being skewered by Trump in the 2015-16 debate cycle.

Here is my suggestion to the Democratic National Committee.

At the next candidate debate in September, hire Alec Baldwin. Bring in the “Saturday Night Live” make-up artists to turn him into Trump. Then place him at the centre-stage pulpit. No holds barred. Grant him free rein to pollute the air with a litany of schoolyard taunts like “Sleepy Joe,” “Crazy Bernie” and “Pocahontas.” And then study which members of the Democratic field are able to withstand the barrage and craft their own memorable sound bites.

It would be a ratings bonanza. Maybe the Democrats could score some additional points by donating the incremental TV revenue to organizations lobbying for more gun control.

Ah, but the critics of this proposal will sagely shake their heads and say that one cannot turn the stoic, contemplative process of choosing the next leader of the free world into a three-ring circus. A noble sentiment, yes.

But it comes too late. Send in the clowns.

Tim Simard West Kelowna